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Jarrow Formulas Whey is a gluten-free and wheat-free protein powder that provides you with 18 g of protein, 2 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of fat, and just 94 calories per serving.
Ultrafiltered to be low in fat, lactose, and carbohydrates, it’s already proving popular, with over 1800 highly rated reviews on Amazon. You’re also getting 18 essential and nonessential amino acids in each 23 g scoop, including 4 grams of BCAAs (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine), and more than 3 grams of Glutamine.
But without any creatine or pre-workout energy boost, is it really the best protein powder for your fitness goals and diet?
In this review we’ll be comparing Jarrow Formulas Whey to two other top rated protein powders; PlantFusion Complete Plant Protein, and Jarrow Formulas Grass Fed Whey Protein. This includes the price, cost per serving, ingredients, dosages, and customer feedback.
We’ve also included recommendations for the best pre-workout and creatine supplements to combine with Jarrow Formulas Whey to maximize your strength and lean muscle gain.
Jarrow Formulas Whey Ingredients
If you’re looking for a protein shake that’s low in calories, Jarrow Whey Protein could be an excellent choice. But 94 calories per serving is a result of less protein, with just 18 g per scoop. This is well below the 30 g you get with Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey, and even the 24 g found in Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.
Although the carb and fat levels are kept low (2 g each), the price is usually much higher than most other protein powders on the market. At the time of writing this review, the largest 1 pound tub cost $0.93 per serving. That’s compared to $0.78 for a serving of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.
Micronutrients and protein blend
In terms of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), the balance is fairly standard for a whey protein powder. Each scoop of Jarrow Formulas Whey contains calcium (10% DV), vitamin A (2% DV), 40 mg of sodium (2% DV), and 133 mg of potassium (4% DV), in addition to 50 mg of cholesterol (17% DV).
The protein used is 100% ultrafiltered whey from milk and soy lecithin. This means the powder contains milk and soy, but with no wheat, gluten, or artificial colors.
There’s also no artificial sweeteners, which is somewhat unusual for a whey protein powder. Usually we would expect to see low levels of sucralose or acesulfame potassium, as found in Optimum Nutrition protein powders.
BCAA and amino blend
Essential Amino Acids
- Isoleucine 1.03 g
- Leucine 1.72 g
- Valine 0.97 g
- Phenylanine 0.57 g
- Methionine 0.42 g
- Lysine 1.43 g
- Tryptophan 0.40 g
- Threonine 1.17 g
- Arginine 0.40 g
- Histidine 0.31 g
Non-Essential Amino Acids
- Alanine 0.84 g
- Aspartic Acid 2.24 g
- Cysteine 0.48 g
- Glutamine + Glutamic Acid 3.06 g
- Glycine 0.31 g
- Proline 0.99 g
- Serine 0.84 g
- Tyrosine 0.51 g
Jarrow Formulas Whey Protein is part of a high quality supplement line that also includes:
- Virgin Whey Protein Isolate: 22 g protein, less than 1 g carbs, 0 g fat, 90 calories.
- Grass Fed Whey Protein: 18 g protein, 3 g carbs, 1 g fat, 90 calories.
- Optimal Plant Proteins: 21 g protein, 7 g carbs, 2 g fat, 130 calories.
- Brown Rice Protein Concentrate: 12 g protein, 2 g carbs, 0 g fat, 60 calories.
- Organic Hemp Protein: 15 g protein, 7 g carbs, 4 g fat, 120 calories.
- Iso-Rich Soy Protein: 25 g protein, 0 g carbs, less than 1 g fat, 110 calories.
Jarrow Formulas Whey – Product Summary
- Easily dissolvable whey protein formula
- Free from rBST
- 100% natural
- No artificial sweeteners or additives
- Reduced fat and lactose content
- 8 g Essential aminos per serving
- 4 g BCAAs per serving
When is the best time to take it?
Recommended use
Mix one level scoop of Jarrow Formulas Whey Protein with 4 to 6 oz. of cold water, soy milk, juice or your favorite beverage. For a protein smoothie, blend with crushed ice and add juice or fruit to taste.
Jarrow Formulas vs. PlantFusion
Jarrow Formulas vs. Grass Fed Whey
What flavors and sizes are available?
Sizes
- 12 packets
- 16 oz.
- 32 oz
- 908 grams
Flavors
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Unflavored
Save money with Amazon
If you’re looking to save money on your monthly protein powder order, you might want to consider the Amazon Subscribe & Save program.
Subscribe & Save allows you to unlock savings of up to 15% on a wide range of supplements, including Jarrow Formulas Whey Powder (certain flavors only).
You can save 5% with a subscription to 1 product, or save the full 15% by subscribing to 5 products, provided they’re all delivered to the same address. The delivery schedule can be set from monthly, up to once every 6 months.
Although 5 products might sound a lot, if you already supplement with a protein powder, multivitamin, creatine, BCAA, and glutamine, the savings can soon add up.
Who are Jarrow Formulas?
Jarrow Formulas has been formulating and supplying high quality nutritional supplements since 1977. Today, they offer a complete product line of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, amino acids, and enzymes.
Their goal is to promote optimal health through high quality, effective, and affordable formulations, made from scientifically proven ingredients. A scientific panel is in place to provide guidance on product research, development, and the latest emerging science.
Jarrow Formulas supplements provide a range of health benefits, including better bone and joint health, cardiovascular health, and immune support. All products are tested by third-party labs that are ISO and USDA accredited. This means they adhere to the strict cGMP/GMP guidelines set by the FDA.
Some of their current bestsellers include Methyl B-12, Whey Protein, and the Jarro-Dophilus EPS probiotic supplement. Each of these products has over 800 highly rated reviews on Amazon.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4.5 / 5
At the time of writing this review, each 23 gram serving of Jarrow Formulas Whey was priced at $0.53, based on buying a 2 pound tub of the unflavored powder.
We noticed that the serving size and number of servings varied depending on the flavor chosen, with unflavored being the cheapest. You also had the option to buy a box of 12 single packets for around $23, which worked out as terrible value for money, with a price of $1.91 per serving.
In summary, we would only recommend buying Jarrow Formulas Whey if you could get a 2 pound tub for around $20. This takes into account the lower protein level (18 g), which is around 20% less than Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey (24 g), and MusclePharm Combat 100% Whey (24 g).
The lower protein content is likely related to the fact that whey protein isolate hasn’t been used, but also means each serving is under 100 calories. This makes Jarrow Whey Protein a good choice for someone on a calorie controlled diet.
Out of the 100+ protein powders we analyzed, EAS AdvantEDGE and Sports Research Collagen Peptides were the only other protein powders to have less than 100 calories per serving. Both had less protein than Jarrow Whey (15 g and 10 g respectively).
Customer feedback from thousands of reviews on sites like Amazon praises the great taste, digestion (no bloating), no artificial flavors, and lack of artificial sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame potassium).
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